Monday’s council meeting consisted of good news and bad news….I’m a good news first kind of person, so here goes…..the good news was that I had no technology issues listening to the meeting! Woo hoo!!! The bad news was that the whole thing wrapped up at 10:15 PM!!!!! So here I am on Tuesday evening writing up last night’s blog. Here’s why.
I tuned in at about 5:55 to hear the end of the planning meeting that was still in session. It had started at 5:00. I generally don’t read the planning agendas nor follow the planning meetings. This was no different. So I half halfheartedly listened as the planning meeting dragged on and on and on……in fact, it didn’t finish until 7:15 !!!! Do you know how many Councillor’s voices I heard during the 5:55 until 7:15 portion? Two. Two Councillor’s voices. Did every single question and commentary need to be done during the meeting? Seems strange nobody else on council had constant questions or commentary. To me, that is a sad state of affairs when things are not run efficiently and in a timely manner.
Then , when the planning meeting wrapped up at 7:15, council decided to take a 10 minute break. So, the regular meeting that was supposed to start at 6:00, should have started at 7:25. Then, just to really put some icing on the cake, there were some technically difficulties and the regular meeting was finally called to order at 8:07!!! So, let’s just say that my frame of mind by this point was not the greatest.
The first order of business was that Mayor DiCarlo read a proclamation for the Town of Amherstburg for Black Lives Matter. His proclamation recognized that there is racism in Canada and that we want to built an inclusive and tolerant society. As well, he spoke of continuing to listen and learn and to champion tolerance by speaking out. It was very well done and I will try to find a copy of it in it’s entirety. (I took my notes by hand, as usual last night.)
Updated and edited June 24th. Here is the proclamation :
The Corporation of the Town of Amherstburg
“Black Lives Matter”
WHEREAS: The Town of Amherstburg believes that Black Lives Matter;
WHEREAS: The Town of Amherstburg acknowledges there is systemic anti-black racism in Canada and pledges to continue to work toward its eradication;
WHEREAS: The Town of Amherstburg believes that all people should be treated equally and that everyone should be treated with dignity, compassion and respect. We stand united against racism, anti-Semitism, intolerance and hatred in all its forms;
WHEREAS: The Town of Amherstburg has a proud and rich black history and is home to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, an educational and cultural institution that memorializes the Underground Railroad and the refugee slaves who first found freedom on our welcoming shores;
WHEREAS: The Town of Amherstburg will continue to celebrate that history and continue to support the Museum’s efforts to educate, engage and inform residents about the black experience in Amherstburg and beyond. We will continue to work with them and the broader black community to build a more inclusive and tolerant society, where people are judged by their actions and not the colour of their skin; and,
THEREFORE: The Town of Amherstburg will continue to listen and learn and reflect on its own practices and policies. We will continue to champion inclusivity and tolerance and speak out strongly against all instances of racism, prejudice and hatred.
DATED AT TOWN HALL, The Town of Amherstburg, the 22nd day of June, 2020.
_____________________________
Aldo DiCarlo, Mayor
In-Camera report out
The Clerk read an in-camera report out regarding the CAO’s performance evaluation. As you may recall, council had voted in the fall of 2019 for the CAO to have a performance review. In fact, council decided to spend almost $10,000 for this comprehensive performance review. Well, the results came back last night and were quite impressive!
The CAO was evaluated using a 360 degree peer review process, which means they consulted with council, peers, direct reports and key community stakeholders. Among the competency areas selected by council for review were : Visioning, In-Depth Problem Solving and Analysis, Decisive Judgement, Championing Change, Relationship Management, Teamwork and Collaboration, Planning and Organizing, Driving for Results, Continuous Improvement, Team Leadership, Resilience, Business Acumen, Integrity, and Courage of Convictions. (Phew! That’s a very exhaustive list!) These criteria for evaluation were evaluated from a wide variety of perspectives, including an in-depth behavioral interview and interviews with other individuals. And low and behold, as per the final evaluation, CAO Miceli demonstrates above average skills and abilities within all of the competency criteria that were evaluated. Congratulations Mr Miceli! And congratulations Amherstburg to have such a competent, qualified CAO at the helm.
The thing I find most interesting from this is that I think that a few on council wanted this job evaluation done as a means of trying to find a way to dismiss the CAO. Council agreed to spend almost $10,000 on this performance appraisal. At this point, with such a stellar review, what will council do if the CAO requests a pay raise? I think one should be very careful what they wish for…..Council wanted this evaluation done so badly when a very small segment of the population was calling for the CAO’s dismissal…..and now here we are…..an above average performance review for the CAO……
DELEGATIONS
Request for 4-way Stop Sign at Cherrylawn and Pickering – Katherine Meloche
Traffic Study – 4 Way Stop – Pickering and Cherrylawn
(As deferred from the June 8th, 2020 – Regular Council Meeting)
At the last council meeting, there was a report regarding a 4-way stop at Cherrylawn and Pickering. The report recommended that as per the traffic study a 4-way stop sign not be installed for this intersection. The item was deferred to allow for a delegation.
Ms Meloche delegated to council via Zoom. She explained that she is a mother of 4 children that lives in the area and witnesses many speeders in the area. She felt that children have a right to safety and she wanted a 4-way stop installed for safety for the neighbourhood. She also explained that there is a day care in the area and there aren’t any signs or a sidewalk for the daycare. She referred to several accidents in the area as well as a death. She felt that something must be done. She explained that council needs to make it safe and show the children that they matter.
Ms Gioffu, Director of Engineering explained that there have not been any accidents reported on that particular corner during the past three years. She did say that three accidents were reported close by at the intersection of Simcoe and Sandwich. She said that the accident involving the fatality happened in January 2000 and that it was a tragic fluke accident that did not involve speeding and that a 4 way stop at the intersection would not have prevented that accident.
There was some back and forth about accidents in the area, however Mayor DiCarlo explained that the fatality was 20 years ago and that it had nothing to do with a stop sign. It seems that a trailer was not attached properly to a vehicle and it came loose. He said that the town has the up to date data now regarding the accidents.
Councillor McArthur wondered what criteria would warrant a 4 way stop at this particular intersection. Ms Gioffu said that the intersection did not meet any of the standards for a 4-way stop but that a radar machine was in place right now. She felt that they need at least two weeks worth of data from the machine in order to proceed with any further recommendations.
Councillor Prue mentioned that the request was for a 4-way stop sign that doesn’t really slow down traffic. He wondered if other measures may work, such as speed bumps, a one-way street at each end or a few other options. Councillor Prue felt that council should wait for the data from the radar machine and that he didn’t want to give up on this issue since there are 5 cross streets and the new high school will be going up soon.
Councillor Courtney said he had been to the area and there are no sidewalks which is an issue for the daycare. He wondered about signage but it seems that day cares don’t quality for school safety zone designation. Councillor Courtney wondered if a one-way street may filter traffic better and wondered if council could designate the street as such. Ms Gioffu explained that council can change it if they wish to, however, administration is waiting for two weeks worth of data and then will take a look to see what the data shows. Ms Gioffu also explained to the delegate that the neighbourhood can petition for a local improvement (such as sidewalks I think?) for the area.
Councillor Renaud felt that council should look at the speed limits in the area. Councillor Simone wondered about installing even “children at play” signage like she has seen in other areas. Councillor McArthur felt it was important to wait for the data. He felt there were two issues at play…..one being the speeding on Pickering and the second being no sidewalks on Cherrylawn.
Mayor DiCarlo said that enforcement can be tricky since people slow down when they see the police car. Now that Amherstburg is served by the Windsor Police – Amherstburg Detachment, there are GPS units in all of the cars and they are patrolling the area, although no more than anywhere else since Amherstburg has about a 200 km squared area to patrol. He mentioned that in London, they would park empty cars and that worked to slow people down too. Mayor DiCarlo said they recently did the radar sign in the area of the Second Concession and with enforcement it was better, but then reverted back since it is impossible to have police presence in one area 24/7. However, he did feel it was important to do something for the area.
CAO Miceli explained page 188 of the report that talked about all-way stop warrants. It seems that to interrupt the flow of traffic, a 4-way stop should be used at intersections with similar traffic volumes. However, only 13% of the traffic came from Cherrylawn, whereas 87% came from Pickering, which is not equal distribution and that is key for a 4-way stop.
Finally a motion was made for receipt of the delegation and the report as well as staff to report back regarding the speeding and measures that could be put in place to lower speeding in the area.
Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) – Rural and Northern Communities Funding Stream Grant Transfer Payment Agreement
It looks like at the May 13, 2019 meeting council received a report regarding an application for funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Rural and Northern Stream regarding the replacement of the Bridge 3012 over River Canard at 5th Concession North.
From the report : “The 2016 Bridge Study recommended that Bridge 3012 receive further structural investigation. The investigation was completed in 2017 and revealed severe deterioration of beams in the traveled portion of the roadway. Replacement of the bridge would avoid the need to apply a load limit or possible bridge closure based on future structural reviews. The Federal and Provincial funding contributions to this project will facilitate replacement of Bridge 3012 in the near term, to conserve the service level it currently provides in a safe and reliable manner.”
It looks like administration is looking for authorization to enter into a Transfer Payment agreement for funding up to $2,84,885 for this bridge the bridge construction with an estimated total project cost of $3,450,000.
There was a bit of discussion about this item, but ultimately it passed.
Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt on
Maintenance – Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 5A
This carried with no discussion.
Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt on
Maintenance – Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 9B
This carried with no discussion as well.
Placement of Kingsbridge Sanitary Trunk Sewer on Maintenance
This also carried with no discussion.
Fryer Street Reconstruction – Alma Street to Simcoe Street – Engineering
Services
It looks like this reconstruction project is coming in slightly over budget, however, with increased traffic in the area due to the development at the old St. Bernard’s and the new high school, administration is recommending to proceed.
Councillor Courtney wondered if this was premature to re-do this stretch of road and wondered if the new high school may contribute with parking and curbs and such. Mr Hewitt, Manager of Engineering Operations felt that it was not premature and that these sections of the road are among the worst on the roads needs study. It was originally delayed because they were aware of the significant expense for this project. Since it is a financially large project, Mr Hewitt felt a 2 phase approach would be better. He also mentioned that the Long Term Care facility will be coming on the former St. Bernard’s property. Councillor Courtney felt he didn’t want to see curbs put in and then torn out with a new site plan for the Long Term Care facility, however Mr Hewitt said that they would be able to control that and decide if the entrance would be better on Fryer St or Richmond St.
Councillor McArthur wondered why there is a lack of interest for RFPs at the moment. Mr Hewitt seemed unsure why RFPs aren’t getting much response and did mention that some companies are particularly busy at the moment with road work.
Anyway, after more discussion, the motion carried, the road will be redone. 🙂
Disposition of Surplus Property Policy – Amendment
It appears that the town’s policy regarding disposition of surplus property is over 5 years old and needs some updating as per provincial guidelines. The new policy is presented in the agenda with the new wording in red mixed in with the wording of the old policy. Councillor Prue mentioned several times that it was difficult to read, what with words being crossed out and added in red. He wondered if land would still be offered to abutting owners when it was declared surplus. The CAO explained that yes, the property is offered to both abutting property owners for fair market value after it is appraised. If they are not interested, then others can offer to purchase. If it will sell for less than market value then council has to approve the sale. Councillor Prue again complained about having difficulty reading the new policy due to the read wording and crossed out words. The CAO said it was done in this way to ensure transparency.
And finally, it carried. The policy was amended as presented.
At-large vs. Ward System Elections
If you recall, in August 2019, council had asked for a report on at-large elections VS ward system elections. The report is in and the recommendation is either simply to receive the report (which would leave things status quo) or adopt option 2.
Here is option 2 :
“Option 2 – Mixed System – At-large and Ward
With this system, each elector is restricted to voting only for the Mayor, Deputy Mayor
and one (1) Councillor to represent their interests. While this doesn’t allow electors to consider each candidate for each office, it can somewhat simplify the voting process for
the electorate. It may also streamline communications for citizen inquiries, however the
elector is limited to contact with only one representative within their ward.
Amherstburg could conduct elections in this manner but there will be additional financial impacts to the organization to consider in changing to a mixed system. Please refer to the financial matters section of this report.
If option 2 is chosen, By-law 2020-037 a by-law to establish ward boundaries for the
Town of Amherstburg has been attached for first and second reading. Council will
consider a 3rd reading of this by-law on July 13th, 2020 at which time, the by-law notice
will be added to that week’s edition of the local paper and posted on the town’s website
and social media and the 45 day appeal period will commence.
Currently in Essex County, Essex, Lakeshore and Tecumseh use a mixed system of At-large and Wards.”
And it was off to the races. Councillor Simone asked if the question of wards could be placed on the ballot at election time and wondered about the cost and timing. (So, yes, I rolled my eyes loud and hard. Add this to the ballot, like a referendum? Ugh, ugh, ugh!) She felt that when talking about the electoral system, it should be up to the residents. (Oh boy…..we made our decision in 2018 and elected the seven members of council to make the decisions, the easy ones and the hard ones……will we be voting on 77 issues come election time now? Council can’t make the decision? Hmmmmm……Why did I vote for any of them if they’re just looking to let me and the rest of the residents make the decisions?) The Clerk said that it is a possibility to add it and there is no additional cost to add it to the ballot. She said in the 2018 election there were 29 candidates and that required a 11 X 14 ballot. She said that by March 1st of the election year, the question must be submitted for the ballot. She gave the criteria about the question (has to be yes/no vote etc). As well, she needs to hold one public meeting for the matter. And, 50% of the residents have to vote in the election and 50% must vote yes or no to the question for it then be binding. (We haven’t had 50% turn out in the last two elections and I think that’s sad, but it’s a fact…..)
Councillor Prue felt he wanted more options. The former area where he served on council had three wards with two Councillors representing each ward. They would have a Councillor be the acting mayor on rotation instead of electing a Deputy Mayor. (I believe the area where he served on council has since had an amalgamation of sorts – like us here I guess – and I’m not sure if this system is still in place there or possibly an area with much more population.) Councillor Prue wanted a report on this possibility as well as other options.
The Clerk said that based on Amherstburg’s population, electoral trends, paucity and equal representation that she could not make a 3 ward system work and to keep it contiguous.
Councillor Prue felt it could be done and even offered to help the Clerk. Twice. (What a great idea! Let a politician help to build and construct an electoral system! Wow!……sarcasm, just to be clear…..just wow.)
Councillor Courtney then spoke and talked about he wasn’t sure if this item had been tabled before but he takes pride in this. (Sorry to burst his bubble, but I believe it’s been tabled by every council since amalgamation…...) He also felt he’d like to see other options since the residents in the rural area feel left out. Councillor Courtney didn’t think that it’s factual that wards will divide the community and that residents can only deal with one ward representative. He felt that a resident could deal with any representative. (Think about that for a moment……let’s say I live in Ward 1. I decide to approach a representative in Ward 2 about something – not sure why I would do that , but say that I do – Would the Councillor in Ward 2 be willing to work hard to help me out, knowing that I could never vote for him or her? Heck! At the moment, we have Councillors that are elected at large and don’t even respond to their emails! When they are in a situation that a person could vote for them next time! Yet, no replies…..so why in the world would a Councillor in another ward roll up their sleeves and use their time to help someone that doesn’t live in their ward? His argument makes zero sense to me.)
Councillor Courtney then went on that a ward system wouldn’t regress the town. He felt that optically, people would feel they have options. He also wanted to see a 3 ward system brought forward to another meeting not too far in the future.
For those of you that did not read the report, here is the proposed map for the 5 ward system.
Councillor Renaud then said that he felt that wards created boundaries but he said he liked the idea to open it up to the public for consultation and to move this to the next meeting to allow input. (Oh my…..my eyes rolled again…..I have been to too many public consultation meetings with a handful of people……so what will council do if/when few people show up for the consultation and people aren’t that interested? I’ve read the comments on social media, this issue seems to be a big non issue……Will council just continue to force this through? I just don’t get it…..)
Deputy Mayor Meloche spoke and expressed how there was no appetite for a ward system with the last council. He noted that there is a mix on council with a variety of areas of Amherstburg represented. He liked the idea of turning it to the people and have the question added to the ballot. (Well, then, will all decisions be turned to the people? Will I receive a 587 page ballot? I guess everyone is sensing my frustration now LOL)
Just when I thought there was no hope for reason, the clouds parted, the sun shone down and Councillor McArthur spoke.
Councillor McArthur felt that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. He felt that the current system serves our town well. The also felt that the whole is greater than the parts and that is what makes Amherstburg, Amherstburg. He said that he can do it all, on his bike, from one end of town to the other in a few hours. Councillor McArthur said that he got an email from a resident who was a member of the amalgamation committee from 1997. He cited part of that letter to us and I took the time to go find it, it was well worth it. Here it is : “Cooperation, not confrontation, is necessary to build a new municipality. A better local government will result when every member of council is compelled to examine every issue with regard to how all rate payers will be affected by his/her decision.”
Councillor McArthur felt these words were wise words then and are wise words now. He felt that yes, people feel left out, but wards won’t solve it. We currently have a diverse council and one of their first expenditures was a park in River Canard and then some concession roads. He felt that with an at-large system everybody has a chance, whereas a ward system could create parochial or one-issue candidates. He also cited, that had we had a ward system, there are so many great people he would never have met. He felt he could see the strengths and weaknesses to both systems but that the current at-large system is good. He said the issue has come up again and again and that things work well and there has been little interest. He also felt that the at-large system works better for the people, but the ward system works better for the politicians. He stated all of this so eloquently and factually that it is worth re-watching the live feed of the meeting if you’re interested in this issue.
Councillor Courtney then spoke and again talked about how the rural areas feel left out. He felt the issue may go to a referendum and give the people a chance to say. He doesn’t want to see the issue kicked down and wants to see it on the ballot. (To me, a referendum, especially at a municipal level seems ridiculous. That seems to be more of an American model of politics. We had a referendum in 2018, it’s called an election. We live in a representative democracy and we elected seven representatives to make the decisions for the municipality. If there are members of council that do not feel qualified to make decisions for us, I guess we should note that and elect people who can and will in 2022. Why bother having a council if they won’t decide?)
Councillor Simone then made a motion to place the question on the ballot for the 2022 election but that it should be decided first which ward system council would like. (Clearly they did not like the 5 ward system and want the 3 ward system, but more on that later.) Councillor Prue felt that council would have a year to look at alternatives. He said he has made 20 deputations to the OMB regarding wards and that it’s not hard. Mayor DiCarlo clarified that council wanted the clerk to bring back another option and then put the issue on the ballot. Councillor Renaud asked about public consultation. The Clerk said that public notice and consultation is required and the public consultation should be done before deciding on options. The Clerk said the additional options should be put together to present to the public. Councillor Renaud expressed concern regarding public meetings due to the current pandemic but that he would like input and to involve the public. The Clerk said that public education is key in order to have people fully understand is the key to have success with a ballot question. Councillor Courtney pressed that he wants it to move forward.
Councillor McArthur said he wouldn’t stand against public consultation but asked for the voter turn out in recent elections. Turns out our voter turn out was 42% in 2018, it was 47% in 2014 and 67% in 2010. The reason for the higher turn out in 2010 is that the council of the day opted for mail in ballots. The Clerk mentioned that she would present options for the election closer to the election, like she did with the last council, with options such as internet voting, which helps bring up the percentage of voters. (Don’t forget it has to be 50% to be binding for the referendum).
Councillor Prue said he had concerns. He felt that mail in ballots could be okay but he doesn’t like the idea of internet voting. He also felt a ranked ballot could be done easily in a ward system. He felt it had never been done before but the Clerk pointed out that London Ontario opted for the choice of ranked voting in 2018 and she’s been watching it closely ever since.
So, low and behold, the motion passed. The Clerk will have to present another ward option to council and the question will be on the ballot…..
In Amherstburg, if you take the time to go back to every council elected since amalgamation, you will see that we’ve always had old Anderdon and old Malden representation, as we do now on the current council. As well, in my opinion, from a Councillor’s point of view a ward system would probably make their job easier and would definitely make their election/re-election easier. I feel that from the town perspective it will just ingrain the us (rural) vs. them (old Amherstburg) mentality, which would be really unfortunate. There’s probably very good reason that the amalgamation reports and recommendations weighed heavily against a ward system. We need to be one community, united as Amherstburg.
If you look at our at-large results of 2018 for council, the spread from 4th place finisher to 8th place was only 185 votes. With a ward system, especially with only two “winners” and fewer people running, it would be difficult for a non-incumbent to win an election. Our Deputy Mayor race saw a difference of 4 votes which sealed the deal for the winner in 2018. That created a “only one person can win” for Deputy Mayor, which council seems to want to eliminate. Why do they want to eliminate risk for the people running? And the Mayoral race brought forward a one-issue candidate that fared poorly overall.
If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that time, energy, inclusiveness and resources are important. If council pushes this through, to put a ward system on the ballot, I feel they will be wasting a lot of time, energy and resources that could be better used. I also feel that it will kill any sense of inclusiveness and community that we have. I have given this much thought since last night’s meeting. I have been trying to pinpoint why three members of council seem so focused on a ward system. Personally, I think it’s to help with election and re-election bids, which is a selfish and unfortunate way of thinking. Decisions need to be made for the good of our entire town.
Information Reports
The Town of Essex sent a letter to Premier Ford about leaving Windsor / Essex County in Stage 1 during the pandemic reopening process. Amherstburg council supported their letter and will be sending a letter as well. Councillor McArthur said that a protest is planned on Wednesday at 10 AM in front of the Windsor Essex County Health Unit (if anyone is interested). Councillor McArthur asked what is being done. He also wanted an email sent by the Mayor to Premier Ford on Tuesday. He said that businesses are suffering, the migrant workers are suffering and that this is not their fault. He felt that we need to send a strong message. An email was to be sent on Tuesday as well as the letter.
New Business
Councillor McArthur brought up the email that he wanted Mayor DiCarlo to send to Premier Ford. He inquired about something that may be done in Windsor…..it seems that Mayor Dilkens said that if Ford won’t allow Windsor to go to stage 2, he’d recommend to council to make a motion for no enforcement of the bylaw infractions. Councillor McArthur wondered if that were possible. Ms Rubli, Manager of Licensing said it was possible but could be a double edged sword since there are still people that are fearful and could call in complaints. Councillor Prue felt that council was elected to uphold the laws and they should be enforced or it could lead to anarchy. Deputy Mayor Meloche and Councillor Courtney agreed with this.
Councillor McArthur then asked about the bathrooms in the Kings Navy Yard Park and that bathrooms are open elsewhere and wondered if there was a possibility of opening them up. Long story short, administration said they have an obligation in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and they would have to ensure proper cleaning protocol, which would be at minimum two times above the regular protocol and have to be cleaned when visibly dirty. This would require a full time staff member to ensure cleanliness and dedicated to cleaning the washroom after each use.
Councillor McArthur said a resident had sent an email asking about the walking track at the Libro Centre and wondered if it could be reopened at stage 2. Ms Rubli explained that even in phase 2, indoor recreational facilities are not permitted and that would probably be at stage 3.
And then, there I was, sitting on my couch at 10:14 as they called for a motion to adjourn. And that is why this blog is being written up on Tuesday night! LOL
I hope you made it to the end of this one. I know it was long but there was a lot that happened during this meeting. And much of it was interesting too!
Have a great week Amherstburg ! Happy Canada Day! Find a way to celebrate our wonderful country! I will miss being downtown Amherstburg to enjoy the activities and watch the fireworks, but I will continue to look forward to the future yet enjoy the moment!
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